Where the Highways are Hellish

METROGRADES: National Report Card

Dec 6, 2004

How was your drive to work today? Actually, we already know. We revved up our research engine to learn which city's streets and highways are the most aggravating in America. Our statistical journey ended in the capital of congestion--the District of Columbia. That's right, Washington: first in war, first in peace, and dead last in our ratings.

We arrived at this conclusion--a little frazzled and low on gas--after poring over federal government data regarding miles of roadway per 1,000 people; vehicles per freeway lane; quality of highways; and commuting time. At the Texas Transportation Institute, we found hours of delay per traveler. The insurance industry pointed out the country's most dangerous intersections and told us the average insurance costs by state. The good news: Lincoln, Nebraska; Lubbock, Texas; and Wichita, Kansas, have America's best roadways. Happy trails!

1. Lincoln, NE A+

2. Lubbock, TX A+

3. Wichita, KS A+

4. Lexington-Fayette, KY A

5. Corpus Christi, TX A

6. (tie) Akron, OH A

Greensboro, NC A

8. Montgomery, AL A

9. Fort Wayne, IN A

10. Kansas City, MO A-

11. Madison, WI A-

12. Anchorage, AK A-

13. Shreveport, LA A-

14. Laredo, TX B+

15. Cleveland, OH B+

16. Spokane, WA B+

17. Pittsburgh, PA B+

18. Rochester, NY B+

19. Toledo, OH B+

20. (tie) Norfolk, VA B+

Oklahoma City, OK B+

22. Birmingham, AL B+

23. Bakersfield, CA B

24. Omaha, NE B

25. Buffalo, NY B

26. Cincinnati, OH B

27. Nashville-Davidson, TN B

28. Colorado Springs, CO B

29. Columbus, OH B

30. Tucson, AZ B

31. Jacksonville, FL B

32. Chesapeake, VA B

33. Durham, NC B

34. Fresno, CA B

35. Milwaukee, WI B

36. Raleigh, NC B

37. Louisville, KY B

38. Garland, TX B

39. St. Petersburg, FL B

40. Tulsa, OK B-

41. El Paso, TX B-

42. Indianapolis, IN B-

43. St. Louis, MO B-

44. Baton Rouge, LA C+

45. Memphis, TN C+

46. (tie) San Antonio, TX C+

Tampa, FL C+

48. (tie) Chandler, AZ C+

Glendale, AZ C+

Scottsdale, AZ C+

Stockton, CA C+

52. (tie) Mesa, AZ C+

Plano, TX C+

54. Virginia Beach, VA C+

55. Albuquerque, NM C

56. Henderson, NV C

57. Orlando, FL C

58. Fort Worth, TX C

59. Modesto, CA C

60. Austin, TX C

61. Minneapolis, MN C

62. New Orleans, LA C

63. Arlington, TX C

64. (tie) Charlotte, NC C

Hialeah, FL C

66. St. Paul, MN C

67. Chula Vista, CA C-

68. Tacoma, WA C-

69. Portland, OR C-

70. Anaheim, CA C-

71. Yonkers, NY C-

72. Fremont, CA C-

73. Jersey City, NJ C-

74. Honolulu, HI D+

75. Dallas, TX D+

76. Glendale, CA D+

77. (tie) Atlanta, GA D+

Seattle, WA D+

79. (tie) Houston, TX D+

San Diego, CA D+

81. Boston, MA D+

82. Denver, CO D+

83. Miami, FL D+

84. Sacramento, CA D

85. Las Vegas, NV D

86. Phoenix, AZ D

87. Aurora, CO D

88. Philadelphia, PA D

89. (tie) Newark, NJ D

San Jose, CA D

91. Santa Ana, CA D

92. Detroit, MI D-

93. New York, NY D-

94. Riverside, CA D-

95. Oakland, CA D-

96. San Francisco, CA D-

97. Long Beach, CA F

98. Baltimore, MD F

99. Los Angeles, CA F

100. Chicago, IL F

101. Washington, DC F

Go to the next page for tips on how to avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic...

Traffic Facts

• Congestion is best relieved with metered entrance ramps, timed traffic signals, and more efficient clearing of crashes, research shows.

• State Farm says stay out of drivers' blind spots, use turn signals, and don't change lanes in an intersection.

• You can improve your roads. For big highway projects, contact members of Congress.

Skip the Jam

• The average driver blows nearly 2 days a year in traffic jams, says the Texas Transportation Institute. Break away:

• Call up. Download Vindigo Traffic to your cellphone and punch in your usual driving routes for text alerts, plus flagged maps detailing construction or accident snarls (including length of delays). Available now on Verizon, then on all major carriers starting in 2005. $3 to $4 per month. vindigo.com

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